20 best anime movies of all time

For most kids, Saturday mornings are explicitly set for watching cartoons. No matter how much a kid struggles to wake up from Monday to Friday when it comes to Saturday, they can even get up at dawn to have control of the remote. Over the years, many fantastic anime movies have been released. Some are so good that they make rewatching fun while others are boring and confusing that you wish you had never laid your eyes on them. But with so many of these films released since the 1900s, how do you differentiate the good from the bad. Well, that is where we come in. We have gathered only the top 20 best anime movies that will remind a viewer of a happy, carefree Saturday morning.

Image: pixabay.comSource: UGC

Just like American animations such as Looney Tunes and SpongeBob, most adults believe that animes' main target audience is kids. After all most of the Japanese cartoons use characters with colourful images, exaggerated facial features and stories with a lot of fantasy. However, there are so many genres of anime and different types. You will not be doing justice to yourself by alienating these types of film. Yes, anime is a cartoon whose roots can be traced way back in Japan and yes, they tend to revolve around fantasy worlds. But there are many anime movies whose story line will captivate people of all ages from different cultures.

Which is the greatest anime?

Image: pixabay.comSource: UGC

They are various types of anime genres such as action, drama, comedy, thriller, adventure, horror and many others. This means that there are countless great Japanese animation to choose from each year. So, if it is your first time trying out these types of films, then be open-minded, and you will find something exciting, interesting and fun. To help you get started, here are 20 of the best anime movies to bring memories of the fun Saturday mornings you had in your childhood.

1. Spirited Away (2001)

Spirited Away has broken various records worldwide to become one of the highest grossing films at the Japanese box office. In fact, an anime that beats Ice Age to win an Academy Award can be considered one of the best and a must watch. Directed by the legendary anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Spirited Away centres on a 10-year-old girl named Chihiro who has to tag along with her parents to a new neighbourhood.

The faimly ends up making a detour to an abandoned amusement park, where Chihiro meets a friendly boy who warns her that they should leave the park before sunset. However, Chihiro is unable to reach her parents in time, they are turned into pigs, and the whole family becomes trapped in the spirit world. To free herself, her parents and to return to the human world, Chihiro takes on a job working at a bathhouse owned by Yubaba who is a wicked old witch. In 2016, Spirited Away was voted the best film of the 21st century by British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and in 2017, the New York Times named this anime the second-best film of the 21st century.

Subscribe to watch new videos

2.Ghost in the Shell (1995)

If you want to watch an anime for adult audiences yet has stunning visuals, and creative cinematography then give Ghost in the Shell a try. This anime cyberpunk has a futurist science fiction vibe and well-executed violence that continue to impress years on. The plot is set in 2029, a time when cybernetic technology is rampant and where you could allow the human brain to acces the internet and other networks.

The story line is about Motoko Kusanagi, a female security agent and assault team leader who is handed the task of assassinating a mysterious hacker named the Puppet Master. In the process of trying to capture the Puppet Master, Kusanagi discovers foul play in Section 6 and starts to question her humanity side even though she has a cyborg body. If you are into Sci-Fi and action then you will have fun watching Ghost in the Shell.

Subscribe to watch new videos

3. Pokémon: The Movie 2000 (1999)

Pokémon has millions of fans worldwide and has played a huge influence in making anime series, and video games including trading card games. And when the first Pokémon movie was released in 1999, nobody could have predicted that this franchise would continue to get more popular several decades later. In fact, around 21 Pokémon films have been released since then. Amongst those, Pokémon the movie 2000 has enough action-packed scenes to warrant it as the best. In the anime, Ash Ketchum adventure begins when he is crowned the hero and is tasked with the role of finding three glass balls from three legendary bird’s islands which will help restore the ecological balance.

Subscribe to watch new videos

4. Cowboy Bepop: The Movie (2001)

While anime tends to get their biggest audience in Japan, they have become such a great means of entertainment that they have garnered fans all over the world. If you are asking yourself what is the most popular anime in America? Then Cowboy Bebop: The Movie ranks amongst the top. But did you know that cowboy Beep is one of the most popular animated television series. The series had such a huge fan base that when it ended the fans demanded an extension. As a result, the director Shinichirō Watanabe and creators of the series had to develop a movie of the same name.

The plot of this film is set in 2071 when the peaceful existence is threatened by a mysterious terrorist who infects the human population in Mars using a deadly biological pathogen. To stop another attack, the Mars government puts out a bounty of 300 million woolong to anyone that can capture the terrorists. In response, the Bebop crew decides to take on the bounty to find the cure and stop the evildoers once and for all. The movie was equally a success that it was nominated for Best Animated Film by the Online Film Critics Society. When released on DVD, this anime ranked amongst the top on Japanese charts.

5. Your Name/ Kimi no Na Wa (2016)

With so many best anime movies released each year, what is the highest grossing anime movie of all time? Your Name whose original title is Kimi no Na Wa, grossed around $354 million worldwide to became the fourth highest grossing non-English language movie after Dangal, The Intouchables, Monster Hunt and The Mermaid. Your Name is also the most top grossing anime in Japan after Spirited Away.

Directed by Makoto Shinkai, Your Name tells the story of a high school girl living in rural Hida mountains named Mitsuha Miyamuzi who believes her life as a girl is boring and hopes to be a handsome city boy in her next life. One day she wakes up to find that she has swapped bodies with Taki Tachibana, a high school boy living in Tokyo. The two teenagers who are separated by distance, begin communicating and end up falling in love. The modern love story together with the high animation quality has enabled this movie to delight audiences not only in Japan but also worldwide enabling this film to gain the title of one of the best romance anime movies.

Subscribe to watch new videos

6. Princess Mononoke (1997)

Out of the many great anime films released in the 90s, Princess Mononoke remains a masterpiece even two decades later. Furthermore, it is rare to watch a Japanese animation directed by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki and not get impressed. This movie's story takes place in ancient Japan where the Emishi prince named Ashitaka kills a God but not before it inflicts him with a deadly curse.

To stop the curse from spreading throughout his body and killing him, the village wise woman tells Ashitaka to travel to Nago where he will find the cure. In the journey to find the cure, Ashitaka teams up with San, aka princess Monoke who was raised by wolves. Princess Mononoke was so successful that it went on to win various awards including Picture of the Year, Best animation film and Best Home Video Release. This film has enough catchy scenes, striking visuals and detailed dialogue to impress youths and adults.

Subscribe to watch new videos

7. Akira (1988)

Akira is a post-apocalyptic Japanese animation film that is set after World War III and Bōsōzoku biker gang own the streets. Although Tokyo has been rebuilt, because of the gangs there is violence everywhere, and there are frequent riots. In the midst of all the chaos, the two main characters Kaneda and Tetsuo who are childhood friends and gang get into a fight with the rival gang.

While fighting, Tetsuo ends up crashing his bike into a test subject kid called Takashi. Colonel Shikishama then arrests Tetsuo who is then taken to a government lab where he acquires supernatural powers that threaten to nuke the whole of Tokyo. This Japanese animation is based on a comic book (Manga) of the same name and is one of the best action anime movies.

Subscribe to watch new videos

8. Porco Rosso (1992)

This is a fantasy epic adventure with a creative plot that will delight you until the end. The story is about an unlikely hero: an ex-fighter ace who is transformed by a mysterious curse to have the face of a pig. After deserting the Italian military, the once brave ace fighter pilot named Marco Pagot becomes a bounty hunter and adopts a new name, Porco Rosso.

To help lift the curse and to save his most cherished possession: his plane, Rosso team up with a smart female mechanic called Fio. Together the two embark on a dangerous journey where they have to dodge dangerous pirates. Pirate stories are popular with all ages groups, and that is one of the reasons why this film ranks amongst the best anime movies of all time. While watching, Porco Rosso expects to uncover themes of love, politics and other topics that relate strongly to common cultural issues.

Subscribe to watch new videos

9. Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods (2013)

Dragon Ball Z is one of the most popular and beloved anime. Since its first release, the franchise has unveiled various sequels which have garnered massive fans worldwide. In this 2013 Akira Toriyama Dragon Ball movie, the lead characters Goku and Vegeta engage in brutal fight scenes with Lord Beerus. When Beerus God of destruction is awakened by Whis and hears that Saiyan Warrior Goku defeated Frieza, he embarks on a journey to defeat the Saiyan and destroy the planet. Expect epic battles between Beerus and Super Saiyan warrior as both are strongest Gods and have great powers which equalises the battlefield. This is a fun film with interesting scenes that all Dragon Ball fans will enjoy.

Subscribe to watch new videos

10: Ponyo (2008)

This is one of the best anime movies that kids will enjoy watching. Ponyo whose original title is Gake no ue no Ponyo centres around a five-year-old boy named Sōsuke who develops a bond with Ponyo, a goldfish princess. This anime movie was produced by Toshio Suzuki and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The story starts with Fujimoto, a wizard who married a sea goddess Gran Mamare. Fujimoto lives underwater with his daughter Brunhilde.

While on an outing, Brunhilde sneaks on the back of a jellyfish then drifts to the shore using a glass jar where she is rescued by Sōsuke who ends up naming her Ponyo. Believing that her daughter has been kidnapped, Fujimoto asks a wave spirit to bring her back home. Upon returning Brunhilde confesses that she desires to become human and want to change her name to Ponyo. The film went on to win Best-Animated Film in the Awards of the Japanese Academy.

Subscribe to watch new videos

11. Tokyo Godfathers (2003)

If you want to watch the best modern anime movies, then Tokyo Godfathers will entertain you. The plot is about three homeless people who find an abandoned baby girl in a garbage dump and set out to return her to her parents. The three homeless trios are made up of a trans woman Hana, Runway girl Miyuki and an alcoholic man named Gin. When the trio find the baby, which was during Christmas Eve, she had a note containing clues of where she’s from.

The trio then use clues to get the baby to her home. Along the way, they encounter obstacles that will force each one to confront their ugly past. However, even when they finally get to the baby’s parents, it is not the happy reunion they expected it to be. Tokyo Godfathers is directed by Satoshi Kon and is based on the novel Three Godfathers by Peter B. Kyne.

12. Arrietty (2010)

If you are looking for the best anime movie for family, then go for Arrietty. This is a Japanese animation film based on a children’s fantasy book named The Borrowers by Mary Norton. Borrowers are tiny people who live a secret life under the floors of a home and at night go on a food borrowing mission. The story centres on a 14-year-old Arrietty who is taken on her first borrowing mission where she is spotted by a boy named Shawn. Arrietty and Shawn develop a friendship which threatens to expose and capture the Borrowers.

Subscribe to watch new videos

13. The Girl Who Leaped Through Time (2006)

The Girl Who Leaped Through Time whose original title is Toki wo Kakeru Shojo is about a 17 year old girl who discovers that she can time travel. This anime has intriguing dialogue to captivate you until the end. When Makoto Konno realises that she can leap through time, she decides to fix and prevent undesirable situations in her life as well as help the people she cares about. While enjoying time travelling she soon learns that each leap through time has adverse effects on others. This anime won various awards including Animation of the Year at the 2007 Tokyo Anime Awards.

Subscribe to watch new videos

14. Howls Moving Castle (2004)

If you are wondering should you watch anime and what is the best anime to start with? Well, the high rating for this film should motivate you to watch it with friends or the whole family. This Japanese cartoon is based on a novel of the same name written by Diana Wynne Jones and is one of the top fantasy anime movies directed by the famous Hayao Miyazaki.

The film has strong anti-war themes yet has amazing plot to entertain viewers of all ages. The story line is about Sophie a young girl who is turned into an old woman by a curse from a witch. In an effort to break the curse, Sophie teams up with a wizard named Howl to fight a war with the neighbouring kingdom. Howls Moving Castle won several accolades including Best Japanese Movie Overall, Animation of the Year, Best Animated Film and Osella Awards for Technical Achievement.

Subscribe to watch new videos

15. The Wind Rises (2013)

The Wind Rises whose original title is Kaze Tachinu is one of the best serious anime movies. This is another anime by the famous director Hayao Miyazaki. It tells the story of Jiro Horikoshi a brilliant designer who wants to become a pilot but near-sightedness becomes an obstacle. Instead he becomes an amazing aeronautical engineer and designs fighter planes during World War II. Jiro ends up marrying a girl named Naoko and later tries to escape the guilt of having built aircrafts that were used for war.

Subscribe to watch new videos

16. The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky (2018)

Anime has made its way to popular streaming sites. If you are asking yourself where can I watch anime, then there are various movies that are on Netflix that are easy to recommend. The Seven Deadly Sins the Movie: Prisoners of the Sky is one of the best anime on Netflix. The plot centres in a peaceful coexistence between humans and non-humans in the kingdom of Liones. In this action-packed anime, the seven deadly sins who are a pack of warriors help a winged boy named Solaad to find the winged sword that can stop the release of the sealed evil.

Subscribe to watch new videos

17. One Piece: Strong World (2009)

The villain in this movie is a hardcore pirate named Golden Lion Shiki who kidnaps Nami an expert navigator. It is up to Luffy and his crew to rescue Nami and stop Shiki from succeeding in carrying out his evil plans. Expect monster ducks and dangerous clowns, engaging battles scenes, enjoyable storyline and humorous dialogue that will have you laughing out loud.

18. My Neighbor Totoro (1988)

Director Hayao Miyazaki is good at creating a masterpiece anime that will have people talking decades later. In this family fantasy film, two sisters Meid and Satsuke meet a large but cuddly creature Totoro and go on a fun adventure together. If you want to know which is the most famous anime movie then My Neighbor Totoro ranks amongst the top.

Subscribe to watch new videos

19. Paprika (2006)

Do you want to watch one of the best Sci-Fi anime where the lead character lives a double life? Then watch Paprika. Dr Atsuko China works as a renowned scientist during the day and at night she's a deadly detective called Paprika. Atsuko helps psychiatric patients by going in their dreams. Based on a book by the same name from author Yasutaka Tsutsui, this fantastic film explores what happens when a dream reading machine called DC mini, gets in the wrong hands.

Subscribe to watch new videos

20. Redline (2009)

The rushing adrenaline of a car chase is what most people love in racing movies and Redline will not disappoint. It has enough action, romance and an intriguing plot that will make you want to know what happens next. The film starts with a race that JP ends up losing due to his car exploding. Racing is in his blood so when he loses, he does not know what to do next. That is until he gets a shot to compete in one of the most prestigious races that only occurs every five years. With various people betting against him, JP will need all the help he can get to win the race.

Subscribe to watch new videos

While movie fans continue to witness some of the best productions of the 21st century, the best anime movies in this list have stood the test of history to remain one of the best forms of entertainment for all people of ages. Whether it is your first time watching these types of films or are interested in seeing many more, this list has some of the highest grossing and popular anime that will impress not only kids but adults as well. The list also has a vast array of genres which means that you can choose your ideal Japanese animation based on the provided rating, or go for a genre that fascinates you the most. Enjoy!